So after months of military style planning and our watches synchronised for 7.30 on Dec 5th, Eye Like Xmas finally arrived!

But let's backtrack for a moment as the day hadn't started well, with news that one of the worst storms to hit the UK for 50 years was sweeping across the country. We watched the skies nervously and as we gingerly carried the first piece of art up the ramp into the GB Liners removal van the heavens opened and rain of biblical proportions lashed down upon us. This was getting to be something of a habit. When we'd visited our artist chums Maria Rivans and Bonnie and Clyde in Brighton some weeks ago we'd also been plagued by torrential rain. Was it a sign from God that he wasn't a modern art fan? Perhaps...as everyone knows the big guy has always been more of a sucker for Italian Baroque. But just maybe he'd decided that it was finally time to try something new? Because by 5.00 the rain had stopped, the wind had died down to a mere whisper and an air of peace had descended on Beaconsfield. Hallelujah!

So with the GB Liners van brimming with succulent artistic delights we drove slowly down the road and into position outside Benedict's Store ready for our festive revellers to arrive. And arrive they did in their excitable hoards, ready to gorge on our Christmas curry, sup on a glass of wine made from vineyards in Lapland and feast their eyes on walls decked not with holly but with wondrous art never before seen in deepest Buckinghamshire.

Inside our van we had pieces from all of our featured artists on show...Kristjana Williams, Maria Rivans, Russell Marshall, Delphine Lebourgeois, Bonnie and Clyde, Anna Marrow and Czar Catstick. Plus one off pieces from the good, bad and the ugly of the art world.Who could have believed that in a matter of hours a humble removal van could have been transformed into a gallery? Well if proof were needed here is our vehicle, kindly donated for the night by GB Liners, every inch swathed in colour and style.

Inside Benedict's Saro worked her sales magic as only she can! (It's easy to forget she was in her previous life the best Advertising Manager EMAP magazines ever had!). Ably assisted by our daughters Mollie and Trudy and Mollie's boyfriend Matt. Eye Like is indeed a family business!

But Eye Like Xmas was not just about bringing a taste of Shoreditch to the suburbs, it was also about once again raising money for Greenfingers charity, who create magical gardens for children's hospices.

They are a local Beaconsfield charity doing fantastic work and truly deserving of our support. All proceeds of the raffle as well as a share of the profit from the evening is headed their way. We were also selling on their behalf unique Pure Evil Christmas cards that we had created specially for the occasion. Weep with joy my friends!

Huge thanks has to go to Andy from GB Liners who worked tirelessly throughout the day, hanging the pictures and then unloading them all again at the end of the day. You are a star Andy! Thank you!! Also thanks to HSS, Laithwaites, Noble Revolution Wines and Rebellion beer for their support, and to Ashley for taking some luvverly photos of the event!

Finally we must thank our good friends Ben and Vicky from Benedict's Store for once again allowing us to use their coffee shop to host an event as well as opening up their wall space to Eye Like over the last couple of months. We salute you!! They have given us the opportunity to establish that there is indeed much love for Eye Like in Beaconsfield and I'm happy to say that we'll definitely be opening our gallery for business in 2014…more news as we get it!So all that remains is for us to wish you all a Christmas full of joy and a healthy and hopefully arty 2014! We look forward to welcoming you all to our new gallery very soon! With love Nik and Saro xx